Monthly Archives: October 2011

The folks at Bide-a-Wee animal rescue in Manhattan have recently introduced the Kitty Play Date site, where online users can view and interact with kitties at the Bide-a-Wee facility. The kitty playroom is now equipped with a webcam and three mechanized toys from iPet Companion that users can activate from the comfort of their own homes.

It should be noted that users are only allowed to play for two minutes at a time. There is usually a short queue of about 5-8 minutes, and, as is the nature of cats, there’s no guarantee they will take interest; however it’s still fun to see the kitties streaming in real time, even if they don’t want to play. You can also purchase these remote toys from iPet Companion and give your pet a similar set-up at home.

It is with much sadness that we say goodbye to our beloved friend and client, Coffee. A tremendous cat with enormous character, he made his way over the rainbow bridge this weekend, where he is hopefully having a purr- (and drool-) filled reunion with his late brother, Cream.

A moment of silence for Coffee:
Rest in peace, little buddy. You are already missed.

The only thing cuter than a penguin is a penguin in a hand-made sweater, and it turns out that’s just what Skeinz yarn shop in New Zealand is asking for, to help keep their local penguins safe and warm as they recover from the recent oil spill. They even have patterns and instructions on how to knit them! Although they have already greatly surpassed their goal of 100 donated sweaters, there will unfortunately always be a need for more, so get those knitting needles clacking!

Of course, the best way to learn how to properly use a trap is to practice with one physically, but TNR is about more than just trapping. The online course will teach you how to reach out to the community and educate people about the purpose of TNR and how it can make life better, not just for the cats, but for the whole community.

From the HSU Website:

This course will teach you how to help solve the problem (of feral cat overpopulation) by using the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) approach to managing feral cat colonies. This innovative technique involves trapping the cats in a colony, having them neutered, vaccinated against rabies and marked for identification, and returning them to their territory. A caretaker then provides regular food and shelter and monitors the colony over time. With TNR, the cats reproductive capacity is eliminated, leading to a gradual decline in their numbers, and nuisance behavior is substantially reduced.

The course will describe each step in the TNR process in detail, including working with neighbors and the community at large, feeding, setting up adequate shelter, arranging for spay/neuter, trapping (including preparations, equipment and techniques), caring for the cats while theyre confined, and other feral cat issues like rabies, wildlife and relocation. In addition, the course will discuss why TNR works to reduce feral cat numbers and why other methods, such as trap and remove, have failed.

The course only costs $10, although the Mayor’s Alliance may be able to get you signed up for free. Please e-mail info@animalAllianceNYC.org to find out if the offer is still available.